OAAA and Ad Council Partner to Honor Platinum OBIE Winner with Donated Media Support
The medium’s highest creative honor will now extend beyond awards night, harnessing the collective reach of OOH for
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For 84 years, the OBIE Awards have celebrated the very best in out of home (OOH) creativity. This year, the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) is partnering with the Ad Council to make the program’s highest honor, the Platinum OBIE, even more meaningful. The 2026 Platinum winner will be honored through a collaboration with Seize the Awkward, a campaign from the Ad Council, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) that encourages teens and young adults to talk to their friends who may be struggling with their mental health. OAAA members will donate media inventory across markets and formats to amplify its message nationwide.
“The Platinum OBIE represents the highest level of creative achievement in out of home, and we wanted to honor that achievement in a way that could have an impact far beyond awards night,” said Anna Bager, President & CEO, OAAA. “Together with the Ad Council and our members, we can give the Platinum winner an opportunity to put the collective power of OOH behind a cause that matters. It is a meaningful way to celebrate extraordinary creativity while demonstrating what makes our medium the Human Medium.”
Seize the Awkward provides resources to help teens recognize the signs that a friend may need support. The campaign’s latest creative, produced by Droga5, is titled “Let’s Be Real,” and highlights the importance of checking in, showing up and creating meaningful moments of connection with the people in our lives.
The initiative builds on a longstanding partnership between OAAA and the Ad Council to bring public service messages to audiences through OOH. For years, OAAA members have donated media inventory to support Ad Council campaigns, using the national scale and local presence of OOH to amplify important messages in communities across the country. The Platinum OBIE initiative brings that shared commitment into the awards program in a new way, connecting the industry’s highest creative honor with a cause the OOH industry can support together.
“We’re excited to build on our longstanding relationship with OAAA to further help us bring critical public service messages into communities nationwide,” said Heidi Arthur, Chief Campaign and Program Officer, Ad Council. “This partnership celebrates exceptional creativity while using the power of the medium to address a critical issue in our country—helping teens overcome feelings of isolation and loneliness by leaning on moments of human connection.”
The partnership is one part of a broader evolution of the OBIE Awards this year. The awards return to New York City as a standalone celebration of OOH creativity, with a reimagined program featuring refreshed categories, an all-star jury of leading creative voices from across the advertising industry and a renewed focus on the strength of the creative idea.
On October 15, the industry will come together at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to recognize the brands, agencies and creatives behind the year’s most outstanding work. Hosted by creative visionary Susan Credle and industry legend David Shing, the evening will culminate with the presentation of the Platinum OBIE by Scott Wells, CEO of Clear Channel Outdoor and Chair of the OAAA Board of Directors, alongside Heidi Arthur, Chief Campaign and Program Officer at the Ad Council.
For more information about the 84th Annual OBIE Awards and to purchase tickets to the October 15 celebration at The Museum of Modern Art, visit oaaa.org/obieawards.
About the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA)
The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) is the national trade association representing the out of home (OOH) advertising industry. OAAA’s mission is to protect, promote, and advance the medium through government affairs and advocacy, industry research and market intelligence, brand and agency engagement, and industry leadership and convening. OAAA works to ensure OOH’s essential role in the modern media mix by advancing standards, aligning the industry around shared priorities, and shaping the future of OOH. Founded in 1891, OAAA serves more than 850 member companies, including media owners, advertisers, agencies, ad tech providers, and suppliers. The association is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in New York City. For more information, visit oaaa.org.
Media Contact:
Cassady Nordeen
cassady@purposenorthamerica.com
About the Ad Council
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change around the most pressing issues in America. Since the non-profit’s founding, the organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country’s most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Love Has No Labels, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. With a current focus on mental health, gun safety, the opioid epidemic, skill-based hiring and other critical issues, the Ad Council’s national campaigns encompass advertising and media content, ground game and community efforts, trusted messenger and influencer engagement, and employer programs, among other innovative strategies to move the needle on the most important issues of the day. To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council’s communities on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X, and view campaign creative on YouTube.
Media Contact:
Ben Dorf
The Ad Council
bdorf@adcouncil.org
